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UT - Local reps say let's deal

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said Wednesday he’s ready to help resolve the impasse over government funding and looming debt ceiling deadline as Democrats Susan Davis and Scott Peters went to the White House for a pep talk from President Obama.

“I believe we should be meeting and intensively trying to reach compromise,” Issa said. “I stand ready to negotiate with anyone, anytime.”

If House Speaker John Boehner can get a deal to address entitlement reform in exchange for a bill to reopen all of the federal government, the Vista lawmaker said he believes House Republicans would pass it. The debt ceiling the nation hits next Thursday should be addressed immediately, he said.

But Issa was adamant that Republicans are right to press for long-term spending cuts now that they’ve abandoned efforts to defund Obamacare, the issue ignited the impasse.

“I have greater concern for the next generation than I do the next election,” he said, referring to the growing public resentment.

Peters and Davis of San Diego joined their Democratic House colleagues for the late-afternoon session with Obama, where they said he was steadfast in his refusal to tie the health-care or other spending to funding government operations or the debt ceiling.

Davis agreed with the president’s stance, but said a short-term deal on each would “allow people to come off the cliff.” She called the entire imbroglio nothing short of “crazy.”

Peters was set to join a large, bi-partisan of House members Thursday morning to demand congressional leadership and Obama begin negotiating immediately.

“Let’s open up the government and talk,” he said. “I’m interested in dealing with a lot of these long-term debt issues, and its time for people to sit down and talk about a real solution.”

Peters also expressed deep frustration with the intransigence on Capitol Hill.

“We have lowered the expectations for this great institution. People say it has never been this bad, and I hope that’s true because I can’t imagine it can be much more dysfunctional.”